Big Album Disappointment(s)

Men At Work--Two Hearts 1985

Ozzy Osbourne--The Ultimate Sin 1986

 

Horrible.

 

Did you at least like "Settle Down"?

 

That one and the title-track. Everything else was just... bad.

 

Organized religion or evangelism is very much not my thing, but Saved is enjoyable just for the feel and commitment in those performances. It's definitely underrated.

 

Many reasons for that...

- For the first album with the classic line-up since more than ten years, the absence of Mick Mars' name in the songwriting credits is suspicious at best, making people think that he doesn't even play on most of the tracks. Instead of a truly collaborative effort, we have these hacks DJ A$hba and Jame$ Michael all over the album which is mostly bland as ef. There's no really killer tunes here, apart from the title track.

- The production and mixing are mostly awful. Noise, noise, nosie. I have always been baffled by the interview where Mick Mars tells how he's happy with Ashba's suggestion to switch amps. His tone is muddy, and unrecognizable (but then again, maybe he's not playing).

- The self-referential lyrics are getting ridiculous VERY quickly.

 

Under The Red Sky, Bob Dylan. Before that was Oh Mercy.

 

Perhaps more anticlimactic than disappointment for me:

Bruce Springsteen "Human Touch" (1992). His first in five years. I remember I played it with a melancholic feeling that something was over. It was not the same anymore.

Barclay James Harevest "Victims of Circumstance" (1984). I played the previous album to death and thought it was an epic prog-pop album. I think I like this followup better now. I was kind of ambivalent when it came out. Still am to certain degree.

David Bowie "Tonight" (1984). I enjoyed Bowie in the 80s and took what he offered, it was Bowie, but I knew it was not exactly "Hunky Dory".

Prince "Batman" (1989). The first time ever I thought Prince sounded 'ordinary'. It lacked the musical adventure of previous runs of genius 80s albums. It was okay, like his first two albums.

 

Yep. I was 19 when Lucky Town and Human Touch were released. Which is typically an age that all of your senses are very alive and very interested in new music. I bought both albums on cassette, and as soon as the first tape was in my car's tape deck, I considered returning them immediately. Sure, there's a few great songs ("If I Should Fall Behind"), but the whole affair could have been trimmed down to make just one bad album. This is coming from a big fan of Bruce Springsteen, so it pains me to criticize an American icon...but I shelled out $12.98 apiece for these, which was kinda like 45 bucks these days. A month's worth of gasoline in the car...

 

It is interesting regarding individual preferences. While I accept that Born To Run was probably his most embraced album it always took a back seat for me to this album.

 

Let It Be

For me personally, McCartney. Absolutely loved Maybe I'm Amazed and expected more along that line when I bought the album. I like more of the songs now but I still can't get into the album though I keep trying.

 

Nirvana - In Utero..
oh well whatever nevermind

 

After Yellow Submarine, this is probably my least played album. I think it's still in the shrink from the vinyl box!

 

I hear this a lot, but I feel that In Utero is a very good album. Perhaps the first splash was too large?

 

It's a more interesting and artistically successful album than Nevermind imho .

 

You skipped Theater of Pain, so it doesn't count.

Many people will disagree I'm sure but for me, School's Out.

The Who By Numbers

Abacab

Power Windows

 

I remember when Smashing Pumpkins' Melloncollie & The Infinite Sadness came out, my friend and I, who were big Pumpkins nerds after the amazing Gish and Siamese Dream albums, were extremely disappointed.

I still think the album sucks. Of course, everyone in our High School loved them after that and it was probably the height of their success. Go figure.

 

Totally agree on both points. I recognize the popularity but for once I just don't get it.

 

Sonic Youth - Dirty
Replacements - Don't tell A Soul
Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands
Ramons - End Of The Century
Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door

 

for years, literally years, i read on this forum about the genius of gene clark's "two sides to every story". i could never ever find it in a store used and those copies that showed up on the internet were always very high priced.

i finally got the new edition as soon as it was released. i couldn't wait to hear it.

i was so completely underwhelmed, and i did not want to be. maybe i was expecting too much after all the years of anticipation, but i listened once, waited a couple of days to listen again. and i found it even less interesting the second time.

i put it on the shelf, and probably won't listen again for a long time, and that will be when i burn a byrds related comp at some point.

 

This and everything after it. Especially in '79, when he "Laid An Egg".

 

Driving Rain, the first McCartney album I hated on release.

 

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